Godzilla is no stranger to superheroes. He had a long-running Marvel Comics series and recently faced the Justice League. However, it has been a rare thing for the King of All Monsters to face beings with superpowers regularly. That is the twist behind the new Godzilla series from IDW Publishing.
The opening pages run the reader through the classic history of the franchise. Nuclear weapons testing in 1954 awoke the first Kaiju. These giant creatures possessed “kai-sei (strange beast energy), which grants them unthinkable power. Luckily for humanity, some humans, known as G-Mutants, also began to manifest kai-sei.
These G-Mutants are rare and highly sought after by the G-Force that protects the Earth. As Godzilla #1 opens, one such G-Mutant has just been recruited to the American branch of G-Force. Jacen Braid is an orphan who can channel pure kai-sei energy. Unfortunately, while he may be the most powerful G-Mutant ever recorded, his control leaves much to be desired.
Godzilla #1 focuses on characters over carnage
Those fans of Godzilla who pick this issue up expecting intense Kaiju action will not be disappointed. However, there is far more to this comic than simple combat. Author Tim Seeley takes great care in introducing each member of this American G-Force team. Some of them, like Commander Rivera, are little more than standard military fiction stock characters. There are hints of greater depth, however, particularly in the case of one scientist, Marco, who is turning his R&D budget towards creating snacks in his lab.
The most interesting point introduced in this first issue is a conflict between Commander Rivera and Dr. Rumi Chiba. A recent transfer from G-Force Japan. Chiba exemplifies the Japanese approach to Kaiju, which views them as natural creatures who have reasons behind their rampages. By contrast, Commander Rivera and most of his team care little for why Godzilla and other Kaiju attack humanity. They go in guns-a-blazing to end the threat.
This thematic conflict between West and East is reflected in the artwork. Nikola Čižmešija employs a unique style that mixes elements of both American and Japanese comics. Strangely enough, I think Godzilla #1 might have looked better without the colors of Francesco Segala. Not because the colors are badly done, but because the muted palette utilized seems like an odd compromise between the monochrome of manga and the more vivid colors of comics.
Despite the conflicted coloring, fans of superhero adventures and classic Kaiju will find a lot to like in Godzilla #1. The focus on character is welcome, though there is plentiful action and giant monster combat as well. It seems that the new Kai-Sei Era is off to a fine start.
Grade: 8/10
Godzilla #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23, 2025.
